How a Bill Becomes a Law

Review and Assign Proposed Legislation:

The speaker shall review and assign proposed legislation to the proper committee of jurisdiction. The Speaker shall consult with each committee chairperson concerning issues pending before their respective committee.

Return Proposed Legislation:

The Speaker shall return proposed legislation not received in proper form and procedurally to any branch or person initiating such legislation. The Speaker shall state the reasons for the return and may make such recommendations as he/she deems appropriate.

Proposed Legislation initiated by a National Council Member:

Proposed legislation shall be submitted to the Legislative Research Specialist or the legislative Research Specialist Assistant, in writing. The Legislative Research Specialist or the Legislative Research Specialist Assistant is responsible to place proposed legislation in bill form.

The Legislative Research Specialist or the Legislative Research Specialist Assistant shall have the authority to make limited changes on proposed legislation. These changes would only involve spelling and punctuation corrections on bills and resolutions. All legislation submitted by the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches or any other source are subject to this Rule of Procedure.

All bills shall have a sponsor and/or author listed:

a. Sponsors of legislation must attend the appropriate committee during discussion taken on the sponsor’s legislation. Sponsors and authors of legislation must be notified by the Committee Chairman to attend appropriate committees.

b. If a bill has multiple sponsors, at least one sponsor is required to attend the appropriate Committee meeting.

c. If a sponsor or author does not attend the appropriate committee meeting, the bill may not beconsidered (tabled).

(1) One (1) member shall be designated as the sponsor. All others will be listed as Co-sponsors.

(2) The sponsor has sole authority to amend and/or change the proposed legislationPrior to the numbered bill being assigned to the appropriate Standing Committee.

The bill shall be assigned to a statute designation by the Legislative Research Specialist or the Legislative Research Specialist Assistant.

The Speaker shall assign the numbered bill, accompanied by a cover letter, to the Standing committee with jurisdiction over the matter. All proposed legislation submitted within four days prior to the assignment date shall not be considered for action until the following month.

The Speaker may refer the bill to more than one (1) Committee simultaneously for concurrent consideration.

The Committee Chairman shall place the numbered bill on the committee agenda for consideration within thirty (30) calendar days, but not sooner than four (4) calendar days, after receipt of the assignment letter.

Note: A two-thirds vote of the National Council present may remove an item of legislation from a committee and place it upon the agenda for the next order of business or during the next official meeting.

All bills forwarded to the entire National Council from a Standing Committee should be accompanied by a committee report. Such reports should reference any hearings and provide the legislative intent of such legislation. The sponsor of any legislation should be notified, in writing, regarding action taken on the Sponsor’s bill.

All proposed legislation which includes budget items shall be referred to the Business and Governmental Committee prior to submission to the full Council, unless such legislation is acted upon by the “Committee-As-A-Whole”.

Sponsors of legislation that “dies in Committee”, may re-introduce such legislation with Amendments to the National Council during the agenda item “Other Business.” The appropriate motion or motions would include suspending the rules, placing the item on the agenda, and meeting as a “Committee-As-A-whole”.

Proposed legislation initiated by person in the Judicial, Executive Branches:Proposed legislation shall be submitted to the Speaker with a cover letter from the Principal Chief or Chief Justice, if not, legislation shall be returned.

Origin Author(s) of proposed legislation shall be listed.

If a sponsor has not been obtained, the Speaker will attempt to secure a sponsor before the proposed legislation is assigned a statute designation.

Proposed legislation initiated by tribal citizens:

Proposed legislation shall be submitted by a National Council member.

The request maybe mentioned verbally, but it must be submitted in writing by a National Council member.

Statue Designation:Each statute or law enacted by the National Council shall be designated within the Fiscal Year followed by a hyphen (-) then followed by the sequence in which the bill was enacted.

Example: An act introduced in 2006 would be numbered NCA 06-01.

Items for Consideration:

Proposed legislation reported at the Planning Meeting by a Standing Committee that will be placed under items for Consideration may be acted on as any Regular Meeting Agenda item after receiving majority vote of the Council to place on the Agenda.

Such proposed legislation may be acted upon after receiving the majority vote of the National Council to be placed on the Agenda.

Proposed Legislation Removed from a Standing Committee:

Proposed legislation removed from a standing committee by two-thirds vote of the Council present shall be placed on the Regular Meeting agenda under “Items for Consideration”. Legislation shall be acted upon by the National Council while meeting as a “Committee As A Whole.”

Vetoed Legislation/Veto Message:

A veto message of the Principal Chief shall be delivered to the National Council office by the Executive Branch. The National Council Secretary or designee shall specify the time and date the “Veto Message” was received. Copies of the veto message shall be made available to all members.

1. At the next official meeting, if a motion is made and the majority approve, the veto messageshall be read aloud.

2. Vetoed legislation shall require 2/3 of full membership of the National Council to override.

3. Any Representative, other than the Speaker, may make a motion that the veto be overridden and the legislation adopted as law. Such motion shall be in order only at the meeting where the veto message was read aloud.

4. If a motion to override and adopt the vetoed legislation is not made, the vetoed legislationmay not be reconsidered.

5. Vetoed legislation may be amended and again presented to the Principal Chief for their signature, if:

a. The motion to override the veto and adopt fails to receive a (2/3) vote.

b. The vetoed message is not read aloud.

6. All members shall vote either “Yes” or “No.”

Proposed Legislation Not Adopted by the End of the Calendar Year:

Bills that have not been enacted into law by 12:00 noon January 10, following the end of the calendar year, whether tabled, postponed, not introduced, or other wise, shall have a new statute designation.

Proposed Legislation Not Adopted by the End of Session:

Bills that have not been enacted into law by 12:00 noon January 10, following the end of the National Council Session, whether tabled, postponed, not introduced, or otherwise, shall be reassigned by the newly elected Speaker through the Committee System. The newly elected Speaker shall call a Special Session within (10) days for the purpose of each committee to elect its officers and review and reassigned legislation.

Such proposed legislation may be introduced as new legislation by the newly elected National Council. Such newly introduced legislation shall have a new statute designation.